Open Your Heart Madonna

” Open Your Heart ” is by Madonna ( Madonna Louise Ciccone ), the American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. The song was written by Madonna, Gardner Cole and Peter Rafelson.
Gardner Cole is an American songwriter, keyboard player and music producer. He is also the founder of independent record label, Desert Sky Records. As a songwriter, Gardner is best known for his work with artists like Cher, Michael McDonald, Tina Turner, Jody Watley and Madonna. In addition to being a successful songwriter, he has recorded two solo Albums released by record label Warner Bros. Records.
Peter Rafelson, based in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, is a successful songwriter. Peter began his career as a writer and musician, working with artists like Jackson Browne and Elton John. Peter has written and produced many hit songs with combined sales of over 300 million. He has written many top ten hits for the likes of Stevie Nicks, Jane Wiedlin of The GoGos and Britney Spears.
Production for the singles was by Madonna and Patrick Ray Leonard, the American songwriter, keyboardist, film composer and music producer. Although best known for his longtime work with Madonna, he has worked with a variety of artists in different music genres, including Elton John, Leonard Cohen, Bryan Ferry, Julian Lennon, Rod Stewart, Michael Jackson, Fleetwood Mac, Jeff Beck, Bryan Adams, Peter Cetera, Marianne Faithfull and Robbie Robertson.
” Open Your Heart ” was released on the 19th of November 1986 by record labels Sire and Warner Bros ( both Warner Music Group ), the song was taken as the fourth single from Madonna’s third studio album, True Blue.
Released on the 30th of June 1986 on the Sire record label, True Blue was inspired by her then-husband, Sean Penn. The album was commercially successful going 7x Platinum in the United States with sales over 7 Million in the US alone.
” Open Your Heart ” was originally a rock and roll song titled ” Follow Your Heart ” and at the time written especially for Cyndi Lauper, although she never got to hear it. The songwriters, Gardner Cole and Peter Rafelson, also considered offering it to The Temptations.
Madonna’s management was looking for songs to put on the album, upon hearing it she accepted the song for inclusion. Madonna changed some of the lyrics and the composition of a rock and roll song to a more dance-pop style, thus giving her songwriting credit.
The song is a love song full of innuendos where Madonna expresses her sexual desires. According to Professor Mavis Tsai, the respected psychologist, the use of the phrase ” Open Your Heart ” is a metaphor for the act of being vulnerable. Lyrically the concept of the song places Madonna as a victim of love.
The accompanying music video was filmed on location at Echo Park in Los Angeles, California. Madonna plays the part of an exotic dancer who befriends a young boy, performed at the time by child actor Felix Howard. The video was initially to be directed by Sean Penn, Madonna’s husband at the time. However, in the end, it was Jean-Baptiste Mondino who took the role as director.
Jean is a French fashion photographer and music video director. Along with his work with Madonna, he has directed music videos for David Bowie, Sting, Björk, Jaye Muller aka J., Neneh Cherry and Les Rita Mitsouko.
” Open Your Heart ” was a commercial success for Madonna. In the United States, the song made its debut at number fifty-one and reached a peak of Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, where it spent one week at the top. In total, the song spent eighteen weeks on the chart there.
In the United Kingdom, the song entered the UK Singles Chart on the 13th of December 1986 and reached a peak of number four. It spent five weeks in the Top Ten and a total of nine weeks on the chart.